Tale of the Brothers
by Ahzalen
Summary: Legacy Items Tale of the twin blades known as Cloud Dancer and Sky Singer
1. Brother Blades

THE BROTHERS: 

Cloud Dancer: Medium Rapier, dam 1d8, crit 18-20 X2  
Sky Singer: Medium Saber, dam 1d8, crit 18-20 X2

POWERS:

Part 0: A Gathering of Memories - BROTHERHOOD +1  
Part 1: Forged as One - BROTHERHOOD +2  
Part 2: The Way of Battle - BROTHERHOOD: Deadly Flanking  
Part 3: An Oath Sworn - BROTHERHOOD: Share Pain  
Part 4: Separation in Anguish - BROTHERHOOD: Know Thy Brother  
Part 5: Death's Fell Humor - BROTHERHOOD: Keen +4  
Part 6: An Oath Unbreakable - BROTHERHOOD: Death Oath  
Part 7: Sheathed Together - BROTHERHOOD: Sheathed Together

Unique Powers:

Deadly Flanking - When the wielders of the Brothers flank an opponent, each wielder gets an extra attack at their highest attack bonus.

Share Pain: If one wielder of the Brothers takes damage, the other wielder may take up to half that damage in his place.

Know Thy Brother: Once this power is unlocked, the wielders of the Brothers will always know each other's state of health and state of emotion, no matter how far apart they are.

Death Oath: This may only work once for each pair who wield the Brothers. If both wielders swear to kill their mutual enemy, or die in the attempt, the Brothers gain the ability to bypass ALL damage resistance on the target of the oath. The Brothers will always deal their maximum damage to the target on a successful hit, no matter what protections it has.

Sheathed Together: If the Brothers are both embedded into the target of a Death Oath after that target has died, the target is DEAD. Nothing short of a god will ressurect the target - no natural abilities function, ressurection spells always fail, and even the wish spell will not bring the target back. Divine intervention is dangerous for the god who attempts it.


	2. A Gathering of Memories

Tale of the Brothers.

Finding the Brothers:

This place appears, to your eyes, to be a maloseoum, but no bodies rest in the forgotten alcoves. The entire area has a feel to it - nothing you can place, but it is undeniably ancient. Despite its age, the stone is not filmed by dust, and no sign of wear can be found on the floor - as if noone had ever set foot in this place.  
Light emanates from an unseen source, and you see before you a short hallway, ending in a small circular room. In the center of the room rests an altar, carved of the same rock as the passage and embellished with only a single symbol, the knotted circles that represent Eternity. Upon the altar lies a clearly ancient corpse. Unlike the rest of the room, the age of the corpse is evident not only in it's decomposition, but in the heavy layer of dust and cobwebs upon it. The eyes stare blindly, unbelieving, at the two swords thrust deep into it's chest. These swords are different. Where the room conveys age, these swords convey deep power. They bespeak many battles, though no blood has stained the blades. The first, a slim and supple rapier, portrudes from the right side of the corpse, it's blade hanging left to cross with the blade of the other sword, a saber with its hardy curved blade portruding from the left side of the corpse. The blades appear to be made of watermark steel, and are to your eyes well-forged and quite sharp. The hilts are made of black wood, fire-hardened, and inlaid with fanciful designs, the inlay silver on the rapier, and gold on the saber.  
You cannot see, nor hear, the power of these blades... but you can sense it, where the blades cross. A bond stronger than the tides, more lasting than the ages, connects these swords.

These swords must be drawn at the same time, by two warriors who have some form of connection, at least a simple friendship. They will not exit the corpse otherwise.

AS YOU TAKE UP THE RAPIER: The silver inlay under your hand glitters as the sword draws easily from the corpse. You feel a wonderous joy flowing through you, joy at the thought of being together. You feel as light as a feather, as if you could dance on the clouds themselves, rapier leading the way.

AS YOU TAKE UP THE SABER: The gold inlay under your grip pulses slowly, a steay beat shivering down the length of the saber as it draws from the corpse as easily as through the air. You feel a fantastic feeling of completeness at the thought of the weapons freed and together. Your heart bursts with song, a joyous song reminescent of the wonder of seeing the sky.

As you each stare in wonder at the blades, the front of the alter slides open. Inside lie two dragonsleather sheathes, a rapier sheath inlaid in gold, and a saber sheath with a silver pattern. Inscribed in flowing silver runes on the saber sheath are two words: Sky Singer. Emblazoned in gold on the rapier sheath are two runes as well, representing the two words: Cloud Dancer. The body upon the altar crumples into dust, and fades into nothingness. 


	3. Forged as One

Part 1: Forged as One

There are not two swords here, adventurers, despite the appearances. These two weapons are in truth one sword, separated but still whole, and with a deeper connection than you realise.  
I shall tell you the tale...

...of two young, reckless and daring mercenaries who suffered deeper than any man should suffer.  
The first went by the name Taefen Alemic, of Tharen's Hall. He was a skilled saber fencer and archer, and left home at a young age with his family's blessing to join the Mercenary Lord Illuthid's command. The second was Parrus Sall-Duren of Garventon. He was a daring and oft-lucky troublemaker who stole a rapier and ran from his foster family at an early age and sought employ in Merc-Lord Illuthid's command as well.  
This was a time of war. Merc-Lord Illuthid worked under the Regent Humphery Lacedon, who commanded the kingdom of Oryphed at the edge of the Unknown Lands. Regent Lacedon had sent his troops into battle with Perhiza, a Dark Lord of an ancient and evil god, now long forgotten. Troops clashed on battlefields across the lands, with nary a care who died so long as blood was spilled. Parrus and Taefen met on in training, and rapidly became inseparable. Taefen was the perfect accomplice for Parrus' pranks, while Parrus was kept from committing anything too dangerous by Taefen's stability. They fought better together than apart, as their styles naturally complemented eachother's and did so yet better as they practiced together. Parrus learned archery from Taefen, while Taefen was aided by Parrus in the art of social interactions... most specifically, wooing women.  
On the battlefield, they were a force that no sane man attempted to reckon with. Despite their reputation as childish troublemakers, they climbed the ranks faster than any before them, and soon were stationed as honorary captains sans command, and were often the leaders into large battles. It was as a gift for these men that Merc-Lord Illuthid commanded the forging of two blades, one a rapier and the other a saber, of master worksmanship. In these days, master worksmanship meant forged in Silverflame, and such blades were unbreakable and inherently magical. On Taefen's request, backed by Parrus, the blades were forged simultaneously, in the same fire, and from one large bar of ore.  
The swords were forged as a single blade until the final steps of creation, where they separated flawlessly and became the blades known as Cloud Dancer and Sky Singer.

I guarentee you, young adventurers, those blades were meant to fight together, and together they shall fight. And you shall find them powerful as no other, so long as they fight together.

The wielders of the Brothers must enter combat, each wielding his Brother, and fight together to a victory. Once they have, upgrade the blades to a +2 modifier so long as they are within 50' of eachother. 


End file.
